Favorite Books and Articles

Doyle, Michael; Straus, David. How to Make Meetings Work: The New Interaction Method. Jove Books, 1976.

Comments: For those new to facilitation, this is where to start.  It explains key meeting roles, differences between the facilitator and the person-in-charge, types of meetings and how to facilitate them, and even how to set up a meeting room. 

Dyer, William G. Team Building: Current Issues and New Alternatives Third Edition. Addison-Wesley, 1995.

Comments:  A foundational book about team building.  It explains essential criteria for forming teams, types of teams, common team developmental challenges and how to work through them. It explains how to prepare, facilitate and follow through on team building initiatives. 

Fisher, Kimball and Mareen. The Distributed Mind: Achieving High Performance Through the Collective Intelligence of Knowledge Work Teams.  AMACOM, 1998.

Comments:  Explains differences between conventional work and knowledge work and explains how to launch and sustain knowledge worker teams.  The authors believe that successful knowledge work teams function as one distributed mind.  This is no easy feat since most knowledge workers identify more strongly with their professions than with their organizations, and they tend to value independence over loyalty.  This book explains how to create “distributed-mind” thinking on knowledge worker teams. 

Grove Consultants, Effective Facilitation: Achieving Results with Groups. The Grove Consultants International, 1994.

Comments: An excellent and comprehensive tool kit that explains principles of facilitation, developmental stages, how to plan and facilitate meetings to accomplish the purposes of each stage.  Provides creative ways to visualize and diagram the flow of meaning for each type of purpose. 

Johnson, Barry. Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Human Resource Development Press, 1996.

Comments:  Have you ever been asked to help a client figure out how to change his/her opponents, or how to fix a problem that’s been fixed before but never seems to stay fixed?  Chances are your client is facing a polarity to manage, not a problem to solve.  It’s a critical distinction.  This “must read” book spells out how to tell the difference between problems and polarities and explains how to manage polarities so that you shift from win/lose to win/win results.   

Kaner, Sam. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. New Society Publishers, 1996.

Comments: An essential book that walks through the 5 stages of group decision making (Business as usual, Divergent zone, Groan zone, Convergent zone, and Closure) and explains the facilitator’s key tasks in guiding a group through each stage.  It also explains how to tell when a decision is “fully cooked” (it has sufficient support to make it work) and when it’s only “half-baked” (people express tacit approval but then fail to put enough “skin in the game” to support it). 

Kearny, Lynn.  The Facilitator’s Tool Kit: Tools and Techniques for Generating Ideas and Making Decisions in Groups.  Human Resource Development Press, 1995.

Comments:  Another excellent and comprehensive facilitation tool kit.  This one provides an extensive variety of meeting processes.  It groups them into process types (starting, expanding, narrowing and closing) and explains when and how to facilitate each. 

Reddy, W. Brendan (editor). Team Building: Blueprints for Productivity and Satisfaction. NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Research, 1988.

Comments:  An outstanding collection of team building models and “how tos” from organizational development thought-leaders (Warner Burke, Marvin Weisbord, Allan Drexler and David Sibbet, Kathie Dannemiller, Eva Schindler-Rainman, and others). 

Schwarz, Roger.  The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups. Jossey-Bass, 1994.

Comments:  A “must read” that helps a facilitator select an appropriate role for content expertise that s/he’s expected to contribute, identifies ground rules for productive group work, and explains when, how and what level to intervene to “unpack” differences and keep a group on track.  Also watch for the next edition of The Skilled Facilitator in which Schwarz (a disciple of Chris Argyris) gives additional guidance on how to shift a group from Model 1 (saving face) to Model 2 (straight talk, joint exploration).

Extended Bibliography

Facilitation and Team Development

Adair, John. Effective Teambuilding. Gower Publishing, 1986.

Daniels, William R. Group Power I: A Manager's Guide to Using Task Force Meetings. University Associates, 1986.

Daniels, William R. Group Power II: A Manager's Guide to Conducting

Regular Meetings. University Associates, 1986.

Doyle, Michael; Straus, David. How to Make Meetings Work: The New Interaction Method. Jove Books, 1976.

Dyer, William G. Team Building: Current Issues and New Alternatives Third Edition. Addison-Wesley, 1995.

Eggleton, C. Harry and Rice, Judy C. The Fieldbook of Team Interventions.  HRD Press, 1996.

Eitington, Julius. The Winning Trainer. Second Edition.  Gulf Publishing, 1989.

Elledge, Robin and Phillips, Steven. Team Building for the Future. Pfeiffer & Co. 1994.

Elledge, Robin and Phillips, Steven. The Team Building Source Book. Pfeiffer & Co. 1989.

Fisher, Kimball and Mareen. The Distributed Mind: Achieving High Performance Through the Collective Intelligence of Knowledge Work Teams.  AMACOM, 1998.

Fisher, Kimball and Mareen. “Wellness Practices for Teams” from Leader to Leader, Number 10, Fall ’98, pgs. 17-19.

Fisher, Kimball; Rayner, Steven; Belgaard, William. Tips for Teams: A Ready Reference for Solving Common Team Problems. McGraw-Hill, 1995.

Grove Consultants, Effective Facilitation: Achieving Results with Groups. The Grove Consultants International, 1994.

Grove Consultants, Team Start-up: Creating Gameplans for Success. The Grove Consultants International, 1995.

Grove Consultants, Team Performance: Creating and Sustaining Results. The Grove Consultants International, 1995.

Hackman, J. Richard. Groups That Work: And Those That Don’t. Jossey-Bass, 1990.

Howard, Jennifer M. and Miller, Lawrence M. Team Management.  Miller Howard Consulting Group, 1994.

Hupp, Toni.  “Data Feedback Meetings: Moments of Truth and Success Factors,” Consulting Today, Spring 1999, Volume 3, Issue 1. (For info call 914 591-5522.)

Johnson, Barry. Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Human Resource Development Press, 1996.

Kaner, Sam. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. New Society Publishers, 1996.

Katzenback, Jon R. and Smith, Douglas K. The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press, 1993.

Kearny, Lynn.  The Facilitator’s Tool Kit: Tools and Techniques for Generating Ideas and Making Decisions in Groups.  Human Resource Development Press, 1995.

Kelly, Keith P.  Team Decision-Making Techniques: A Practical Guide to Successful Team Outcomes. Richard Chang Associates, Inc. Publications Division, 1994.

Kepner, Charles H.; Tregoe, Benjamin B. The New Rational Manager.  Princeton Research Press, 1981.

Mink, Oscar; Mink, Barbara; and Owen, Keith. Groups at Work. Educational Technology Publications, 1987

Mohrman, Susan A. and Cummings, Thomas G. Self-Designing Organizations.  Addison-Wesley, 1989.

Mohrman, Susan A.; Cohen, Susan; Mohrman, Allan M.  Designing Team-Based Organizations.  Jossey-Bass, 1995.

Mohrman, Susan A.; Cohen, Susan; Mohrman, Allan M.  Designing and Leading Team-Based Organizations: A Workbook for Organizational Self-Design.  Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Parker, Glenn M. (editor). The Handbook of Best Practices for Teams, Volume 1. HRD Press, 1996.

Parker, Glenn M. Team Players and Teamwork.  Jossey-Bass, 1990 and 1996.

Pfeiffer, J. William (editor). The Encyclopedia of Team-Building Activities.  Pfeiffer & Co., 1991.

Pfeiffer, J. William (editor). The Encyclopedia of Team-Development Activities.  Pfeiffer & Co., 1991.

Reddy, W. Brendan (editor). Team Building: Blueprints for Productivity and Satisfaction. NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Research, 1988.

Scholtes, Peter R. The Team Handbook. Joiner Associates, 1988.

Schwarz, Roger.  The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups. Jossey-Bass, 1994.

Senge, Peter; Roberts, Charlotte; Ross, Richard; Smith, Bryan; Kleiner, Art. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization. Doubleday, 1994.

Shonk, James H. Working in Teams. James H. Shonk Associates, 1982.

Shonk, James H. Team-Based Organizations. Business One Irwin, 1992.

Spencer, Laura.  Winning Through Participation. Kendall Hunt Publishing, 1989.

Uhlfelder, Helen (editor). The Advanced Team Guide. Miller/Howard Consulting Group, 1995.

Varney, Glenn H. Building Productive Teams. Jossey-Bass, 1989.

Weaver, Richard; Farrell, John.  Managers as Facilitators: A Practical Guide to Getting Work Done in a Changing Workplace. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1997.

Board Development

Briand, Michael.  Practical Politics: Five Principles for a Community That Works.  University of Illinois Press, 1999.

Bryson, John M.  Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement.  Jossey-Bass, 1995.

Bryson, John M. and Alston, Farnum K. Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. Jossey-Bass, 1996.

Carver, John. Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations.  Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Carver, John and Carver, Miriam Mayhew. Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Policy Governance.  Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Charan, Ram. Boards at Work: How Corporate Boards Create Competitive Advantage.  Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Doyle, Michael; Straus, David. How to Make Meetings Work: The New Interaction Method. Jove Books, 1976.

Emery, Merrelyn and Purser, Ronald. The Search Conference. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996.

Fisher, Roger and Ury, William.  Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.  Penguin Books, 1981.

Flickinger, Theodore Blair. Are You on Board? A Leadership Guide for Agency Executives and Board Members.  Sagamore Publishing, 1992.

Ford, Roger.  Boardroom Basics: A Pocket Guide for Directors. Bear Mountain Books, 1998.

Golding, Charles William and Stewart, Craig W. Inside the Nonprofit Boardroom: What You Need to Know for Satisfaction and Success. Documentary Book Publishers, 1999.

Hupp, Toni.  “Data Feedback Meetings: Moments of Truth and Success Factors,”  Consulting Today, Spring 1999, Volume 3, Issue 1. (For info call 914 591-5522.)

Johnson, Barry. Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Human Resource Development Press, 1996.

Kaner, Sam. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. New Society Publishers, 1996.

Saint, Steven and Lawson, James. Rules for Reaching Consensus: A Modern Approach to Decision Making.  Pfeiffer, 1994.

Schwarz, Roger.  The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups. Jossey-Bass, 1994.

Spencer, Laura.  Winning Through Participation. Kendall Hunt Publishing, 1989.

Stoesz, Edgar and Raber, Chester. Doing Good Better! How to be an Effective Board Member of a Nonprofit Organization.  Good Books, 1997.

Stone, Douglas; Patton, Bruce; and Heen, Sheila.  Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most.  Penguin Books, 1999.

Large-Group Forums

Axelrod, Richard.  Terms of Engagement.  Berrett-Koehler, 2000.

The Axelrod Group.  The Conference Model.  The Axelrod Group, 1994.

Bunker, Barbara and Alban, Billie. Large Group Interventions.  Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997.

Dannemiller Tyson Associates. Real-Time Strategic Change. Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Inc. 1994.

Emery, Merrelyn (editor).  Participative Design for Participative Democracy.  Center for Continuing Education, Australian National University, 1993.

Emery, Merrelyn and Purser, Ronald. The Search Conference. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996.

Fisher, Kimball and Mareen. The Distributed Mind: Achieving High Performance Through the Collective Intelligence of Knowledge Work Teams.  AMACOM, 1998.

Holman, Peggy and Devane, Tom eds. The Change Handbook: Group Methods for Shaping the Future.  Berrett-Koehler, 1999.

Jacobs, Robert. Real-Time Strategic Change. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1994.

Pasmore, William; Fitz, Alan; and Frank, Gary. Fast Cycle Full Participation Work Systems Design.  Pasmore, Fitz & Frank, 1993.

Sullivan, Kristine; Giacobassi, Jane; Miner, Louise; Sullivan, Roland; Symons, Janet; Turner, Tim; Weiser, Kaylene; Wing, Linda; Wrede, Erik.  The Essential Handbook.  Sullivan Publishing Group, 1996.

Weisbord, Marvin.  Discovering Common Ground. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1992.

Weisbord, Marvin and Janoff, Sandra. Future Search. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1995.